SSAC Echo | March 2024

Mary Pinniger
Mary came to the Coast in 1985 and was hired by
the School District to develop an Adult Education
program. She did this successfully and developed
such programs as SETA - Special Education Teaching
Assistants, WOW Program (Women of Work) training
and apprenticeships for women in non-traditional
trades such as welding, carpentry, and auto mechanics.
She also developed over 100 courses in recreational
style formats, such as cooking, pottery, dancing,
fencing, yoga, etc.
She believes that a healthy community is one that
invites people to participate and contribute in all walks
of life. Mary has sung with the Coast Messiah Choir,
Sara Douglas’s Requiem, and is now involved in the
new Coast Music Theatre performing in the Pirates of
Penzance. She is currently training for the BC Senior
Games where, in previous years she has competed
and brought home many gold and silver medals in
swimming. Mary also plays and coaches Pickleball at
the Sechelt Acitivity Centre.
If asked, what one thing makes her happy she would
respond “people”. “Connecting with people gives me
great joy!” She loves to bring a smile to someone’ day.
Mary owns Heart Centred Counselling and has been
working helping people to improve their lives for over
35 years.
She has noticed in the past year or two that the SSAC
has become a bustling activity for happy people.
“Everyone I meet at the Centre have great smiles, and
always have time to chat. I want to work with people
like Richard and Gillian and the amazing people that
are on the Board. I want to contribute to making the
Centre a ‘home away from home’ for people.”
B. Gail Riddell, PhD
“I have enjoyed the activities at SSAC so much over
the past several years that it seems very appropriate
to ‘give back’ at this point. The grapevine reports
that the board is run competently by talented folks,
and I have known and respected manager Gill Smith
for many years.
How could I contribute to SSAC?
• Relevant skills: marketing, communications,
writing, teaching/training, management, fundraising,
long experience on non-profit boards,
working in teams
• 25 years at UBC creating and running a teaching
centre for faculty and graduate students;
developing and running non-credit courses,
served for 6 years on Faculty Association
Executive
• 20+ years on Sunshine Coast, served on several
boards, including Sierra Club of BC (chair),
Sunshine Coast Conservation Association
(co-chair), Eldercollege (chair), West Sechelt
Community Association (chair). Note that these
involvements have occurred over 20 years and
are not necessarily current.
• Spend time at SSAC doing fitness, yoga, blue
grass band, eating lunch with friends
• Husband Ian and I are grandparents of 8
(blended family), ranging in age from 2-15 years,
and we visit as often as possible (2 families are in
Europe)
• Current activities: playing ukulele and guitar
in jam bands, executive of West Sechelt
Community Association and representative to
Sechelt Community Associations Forum (which
meets with mayor and council), executive of
Alliance4Democracy, (devoted to addressing
climate change issues). I am a dragon boater,
attend a women’s group, work out, read and
write when possible.
• My husband and I love to walk in the forest and
are participants of the Coast Recital Society and
Sunshine Coast Film Society. We socialize in a
dinner group, garden and travel. With friends
who have similar challenges, we attend an early
stage dementia class for my husband.”
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| March 2024
SEASHELL ECHO | SECHELT SENIORS ACTIVITY CENTRE NEWS